Posts from — April 2009

Only $18 to fly from LAX or San Diego to Monterey? Believe it! Allegiant Air has spectacular specials on round-trip airfare from both destinations to Monterey Airport. (Note to locals: it works the other way, too!)

As travel site Airfare Watchdog reports, there’s a couple of steps you need to take to get this great airfare. On the front page of the Allegiant site, in the yellow “Start Your Vacation Package” window, click on “Flight Only.” Select your departure and destination cities and dates. Then click “Search.” You’ll then see a calendar showing when these crazy-low fares are available. This deal will sell out quick, so take advantage while you can!

Once you’ve booked your flight, visit our deals page to get excellent rates on resorts, hotels, and bed and breakfasts, as well as deals on attractions, dining, spas, and other area activities!

The Monterey Bay Aquarium’s “Seafood Watch Program” is one of eight finalists in Treehugger’s “Best Of Show” category for the Best of Green awardsVote for the Aquarium and show your support!

Bay Area Foodie presents their Best Of the Lexus Grand Tasting at Pebble Beach Food and Wine, with photos that will make you want to lick your screen.

In a must-read article, Smithsonian Magazine covers Big Sur as part of their “Destination America series, with stunning photos. Writer James Conaway gives evocative snapshots of Big Sur throughout history, and provides fascinating tales of the origins of Big Sur landmarks Fernwood, Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn, the Henry Miller Memorial Library, Nepenthe and many other businesses.

More Big Sur International Marathon reports are coming in! Punk Rock Tri Guy has many photos and describes it as a “super hard course,” while Julianne Chai almost didn’t make it to Big Sur because her car ran out of gas.

Congratulations to all participants in yesterday’s Big Sur International Marathon! We’ve got a couple of reports from competitors. Michael of the blog 12 Months 12 Races writes about his Big Sur marathon experimental strategy, which clinched him a very respectable 5:12 time. Cody Westheimer of Running For My Father took photos and video throughout his run, even stopping to play the piano, and still had a time of 4:41:30. It’s a report well worth reading. Justin Russel writes about the women who helped him get from mile 18 to mile 23. And Darin Swanson, who clocked an amazing time of 3:35, has a write-up and photos that will make even couch potatoes want to run next year’s marathon. And this video shows why you shouldn’t let the amazing music along the route distract you too much:

Cooking for Solutions is coming up at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in just a couple of weeks, but the buzz is already beginning. Read about it in The Boston Globe and enter to win free tickets to the event at KGO AM 810.

The buzz continues about Pebble Beach Food and Wine. South Bay Foodies has an extensive review of Pebble Beach Food and Wine, including amazing photos. Read Part 1 and Part 2. Bay Area Foodie has photos and details on the Thomas Keller cooking demo, including an online link to Keller’s recipe handouts. 7X7 has gossip on Jamie Lauren and Stefan Richter’s demo, two part coverage of the NorCal vs. SoCal chef throwdown, and much more. Chef Rachelle has coverage of a near-cooking-disaster and Jacques Pepin’s demo. Want to know what it’s like to work the big tent at the event? Read all about the Matulich family’s experience. ViaLuxe has photos and descriptions of the Grand Tasting that will make you drool.

The Vintagent has some early details on the Quail Lodge Motorcycle Gathering that kicks off May 8th; it’s described as “what ‘might happen if a car show broke out at a 4-star restaurant’.”

The Examiner has a writeup on “The Great American Road Trip” through Big Sur, loaded with a great short history of Highway One as well as some great stops to make on your drive down.

This weekend, there’s something exciting happening in every corner of Monterey County. It’s an especially big weekend in Big Sur: both the Big Sur International Marathon and Nepenthe’s 60th anniversary celebration are this weekend.

Friday

Big Sur’s classic restaurant, Nepenthe, celebrates its 60th birthday today! The party goes from 3pm to 10pm. There will be belly dancers, fire dancers, live music, readings from a history of the restaurant, and – naturally – birthday cake.

Another big anniversary takes place in Monterey tonight, as classic comedy troupe Firesign Theatre celebrates their 40th anniversary at the Golden State Theatre. The show starts at 8pm, and tickets are $35, $55 and $75.

Pac Rep’s production of Man of La Mancha at the Circle Theatre in Carmel enters its final weekend. 7:30pm; tickets are $28 for seniors; $20 for students, teachers and military with ID: $7 for children and $38 for the rest of us.

CSUMB’s World Theater presents Howlin’ Blues and Dirty Dogs, a musical celebrating blues legend Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton. 7:30pm; tickets are $25 at the door.

Saturday

Learn all about marine science at the Moss Landing Marine Laboratories (MLML) Open House, from 9am to 5pm. There will be activities including a marine touch tank where children and adults can meet ocean creatures in the flesh, guided hikes, seminars about marine science topic (check out the seminar schedule), and many other activities. There’s also a raffle for many prizes, including artwork, scuba gear, jewelry, books, gift certificates to many area businesses, and more! All proceeds from the raffle benefit MLML; all other events are free. 9am-5pm, 8272 Moss Landing Road, Moss Landing.

Celebrate the Asian heritage of Salinas with the Second Annual Asian Festival in Chinatown. Watch folk dancers and Taiko drummers, and eat delicious Asian food. Admission is free. 11am-4pm, on Soledad Street and California Street between East Lake Street and Market Way.

Take to the open seas at Monterey Bay Sailing‘s demo weekend. Head out with a licensed skipper onto beautiful Monterey Bay. 11am-4pm, $25 per person.

Head down to Soledad‘s Inn at the Pinnacles for the 2009 Pinnacles Wine Festival. Sample wines from producers throughout the Chalone Appellation while eating food from five-star restaurants. 11:30am to 4pm, $60 per person; a portion of the proceeds benefits the Richard H. Graff Wine Scholarship Fund.

Enjoy a beautiful hike, plus epic poetry and evocative music as the Robinson Jeffers Tor House Foundation presents “Rediscovering Point Lobos: A Guided Walk with Poetry Readings and Musical Interludes” at 1pm. Admission to the walk is free; meet at the Whalers’ Cabin Museum near the Whalers’ Cove Parking Lot. (Note: parking within Point Lobos State Natural Reserve is $10.)

The St. Lawrence String Quartet presents chamber music composed by Haydn, Mendelssohn and John Adams at the Sunset Center in Carmel. 8pm; tickets are $52, $39, $34 and $29.

Blues musical Howlin’ Blues and Dirty Dogs appears in its final night at CSUMB’s World Theater. 7:30pm; tickets are $25 at the door.

Pac Rep’s production of Man of La Mancha at the Circle Theatre in Carmel hits the stage for its final Saturday night. 7:30pm; tickets are $28 for seniors; $20 for students, teachers and military with ID: $7 for children and $38 for the rest of us.

Sunday

It’s the big day! The Big Sur International Marathon takes to Highway One. Cheer on athletes as they run from Big Sur to Carmel. Live music at various stops along the way will also encourage the runners. Remember, Highway One south of Rio Road will be restricted starting at 4am and closed from 6:15am to 1pm; there will be caravans from the Crossroads Shopping Village south at 8:45am and 11am.

The Moss Landing Marine Laboratories (MLML) Open Housecontinues! Meet the ocean’s denizens in the marine touch tank, take a guided hike through the dunes, learn about marine science at an informative seminar (check out the seminar schedule), plus much more. Buy a raffle ticket to support MLML and win a fabulous prize! All proceeds from the raffle benefit MLML; all other events are free. 9am-5pm, 8272 Moss Landing Road, Moss Landing.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium presents a celebration of Latin culture with Día del Niño. Events include mariachi performances, folk dances, performances from El Teatro Campesino, a craft room, and chances to win prizes, as well as bilingual feeding programs in English and Spanish. Admission is free for children 12 and under.

It’s never too late for Earth Day. Visit the California State Parks Earth Day celebration at Custom House Plaza in Monterey. Green businesses and vendors will have booths throughout the plaza from 10am to 4pm. Free.

Live your seafaring dream Monterey Bay Sailing‘s demo weekend. Licensed captains pilot Monterey Bay Sailing’s sailboats. 11am-4pm, $25 per person.

The Cooper-Molera Adobe Garden presents an “Open Garden Day” that includes garden tours, historic gardening techniques, and art activities in the Cooper barn. 11am to 3pm. Free.

Watch jaw-dropping midair acrobatic feats as Cirque Le Masque comes to the Sunset Center in Carmel. 2pm and 7pm; tickets are $35 and $45.

Native American actor Robert Greygrass presents traditional stories, Pow Wow style singing and music at the Golden State Theatre. 3pm, $10-$20 donation.

Man of La Mancha dreams the impossible dream for the last time. Pac Rep’s production of the famous musical plays at the Circle Theatre in Carmel at 2pm and 7:30pm. Tickets are $28 for seniors; $20 for students, teachers and military with ID: $7 for children and $38 for the rest of us.

As always, there’s so many things going on in Monterey County this weekend that we can’t list them all! Take a look at the Monterey County Weekly’s online calendar for even more events.

Edible San Francisco posts about the effect the Monterey Bay Aquarium‘s Seafood Watch program is having on San Francisco’s chefs. Sarah Schafer, Dennis Lee, Michael Black and Greg Dunmore explain how Seafood Watch has transformed their menus.

Foodies, head to Nepenthe in Big Sur on Friday for the famous restaurant’s 60th anniversary. There will be birthday cake, bellydancing and readings from a book on the history of the restaurant.

The Pebble Beach Food and Wine recaps keep on coming. Food Woolf pairs chef photos with images of the dishes they cooked. Holly Hadsell – El Hajji has photos and descriptions of the Lexus Grand Tasting that will make your mouth water.

Congratulations to Julie Packard, executive director of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, who has been named a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Other Fellows are Bono, Nelson Mandela, Dustin Hoffman and James Earl Jones.

Moss Landing: great for kayaking, wildlife spotting, surfing and…literature? It’s true! First, after a two-year search for a new home, the Shakespeare Society of America is establishing its New Shakespeare Sanctuary in Moss Landing, directly across from The Whole Enchilada. Their grand opening party is Thursday from 4-8; attend in Renaissance garb if you have it! Meanwhile, Jennifer Chase, author of Compulsion, describes her recent book signing and the things she loves about Moss Landing.

And lastly, we’ll leave you with a cute animal moment – KSBW’s adorable video of this season’s seal pups in Pacific Grove.

The West Virginia Gazette has a great write-up of a San Francisco to Monterey itinerary.

How about that weather? Monterey is hitting record high temperatures this week, turning April into an unexpectedly perfect time for splish-splashing at the beach. Make sure to head to the coast today; tomorrow is expected to drop to more traditional temperatures for this time of the year. Check out our information on Monterey’s beaches to discover the best place to go wading.

The Henry Miller Library in Big Sur has an amazing schedule coming up for May, including a book signing with author Robert Greenfield on Sunday May 24th, an all-night ambient music event on Thursday May 28, and the “Where is Big Sur” event on Saturday May 30.

Did you miss Pebble Beach Food and Wine? There’s plenty of online coverage to give you a taste of the experience. The blog Chowza has a journalist’s point of view on Pebble Beach Food and Wine, including detailed coverage of opening night and video from the Cristal dinner. Bay Area Foodie has a long and enthusiastic post about the Vérité wine tasting, and Food Wishes has a detailed write-up of the Lexus Grand Tasting. Holly Hadsell-El Hajji has many candid photos of the celebrity chefs. If you’d rather look at the food than the chefs, here’s Food Wishes’ video of the Grand Tasting.

Pebble Beach Food and Wine from Foodwishes on Vimeo.

Before we get into the smaller stuff, three big events are taking over Monterey County today through Sunday. Gourmands from near and far have flocked to the Pebble Beach Food and Wine Festival. Meanwhile, avid cyclists from around the nation have flocked to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for the Sea Otter Classic. Gardening and botanical enthusiasts, meanwhile, are heading to Pacific Grove for the Pacific Grove Wildflower Show. Tickets for all three are still available.

Not interested in swanky food, too tired for cycling and allergic to flowers? There’s still plenty going on to keep you busy.

Friday

The Terrace Grill at the La Playa Hotel in Carmel hosts the Kenwood Winemaker Dinner tonight. $85; call 831-624-6476, ext. 488 to reserve.

Pac Rep’s production of Man of La Mancha at the Circle Theatre in Carmel continues its run. 7:30pm; tickets are $28 for seniors; $20 for students, teachers and military with ID: $7 for children and $38 for the rest of us.

Return to the ’80s with the Pink Floyd Laser Spectacular at the Sunset Center tonight at 8pm. Tickets are $25 and $35; call 620-2048 to reserve.

Saturday

Celebrate Earth Day at Locke-Paddon Park in Marina. Help with planting and restoring benches while enjoying food, arts and live music. Free.

Dream the impossible dream with Man of La Mancha at the Circle Theatre in Carmel. 2pm and 7:30pm; tickets are $28 for seniors; $20 for students, teachers and military with ID: $7 for children and $38 for the rest of us.

The Monterey Symphony breaks out Paganini’s Violin Concerto No.1 in D major, Tchaikovsky’s Capriccio italien and several more works at Sherwood Hall in Salinas at 3 ($12 in advance, $15 at the door) and 8pm ($39, $29, $19).

The Kenwood Wine Reception takes place at the Terrace Grill at the La Playa Hotel in Carmel. $40 includes appetizers and wine; call 831-624-6476, ext. 488 to reserve.

Sunday

Taste wines straight from the barrel at Chateau Julien‘s Vintage Affair. Library wines will also be available for tasting. 11am-4pm. $15.

Don Quixote and Sancho Panza take to the stage again in Man of La Mancha at the Circle Theatre in Carmel. 2pm; tickets are $28 for seniors; $20 for students, teachers and military with ID: $7 for children and $38 for the rest of us.

The Monterey Symphony moves to the Sunset Theatre in Carmel to perform works by Paganini, Tchaikovsky, Martucci, and more. 3pm; tickets are $69, $62, $55, $48, $35.

As always, there’s way, way (way!) more going on this weekend than we can list. Check the Monterey County Weekly’s online calendar for even more weekend activities.

Looking for something to do with your tax refund money? The LA Times notes that there are “insanely cheap airfares” available from LAX to Monterey.

Jaunted has an adorable photo of one of Carmel’s T-shirt salesdogs.

The Seasoned Noob has gorgeous photos of a trip to Monterey, Pebble Beach, Moss Landing and Carmel.

One of the most intriguing features of Carmel are its courtyards. Some are easily found, others are hidden, but each has its own individual charm. The San Francisco Chronicle describes many of Carmel’s courtyards, in what could serve as a handy guide for a walking tour.

The Examiner chronicles a women-only getaway itinerary on the Monterey Peninsula.

The Austin-American Statesman, meanwhile, has a great example of a family getaway itinerary encompassing Big Sur and Monterey.

Travel, She Wrote has an interview with Don Martine of Martine Inn in Pacific Grove. Get the inside scoop on a Monterey Bay inkeeper’s life!

Sports Car Digest revealed that the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance will feature motorcycles this year for the first time.

Travel She Wrote has a very thorough and detailed article on traveling with your dog in Carmel and Monterey.